BREAKING: Didi Gregorius to Undergo Tommy John Surgery

When it rains, it pours.

During the end-of-season press conferences from Yankees’ Manager Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman at noon on Friday, news broke that starting shortstop Didi Gregorius will undergo Tommy John surgery this offseason. This news is coming days after the brutal 3-1 ALDS loss to the Boston Red Sox. According to Cashman, Gregorius blew out his elbow during an ALDS game in Boston while making a cumbersome throw to second base. However, Cashman has reason to believe that this injury dates back to an elbow tear he had with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014, and that the awkward throw may have further aggravated it.

The timetable for his return is hard to gauge since, as of now, there is no scheduled surgery date. Cashman stated, “we’re going to be without his abilities for some time, until sometime next summer.”

For infielders, the recovery time for Tommy John is eight-to-ten months long – depending on the nature of the surgery and the severity of the injury. If there was more damage to the elbow than just the ligament tear, the Yankees may be looking at the longer side of the recovery process.

This will undoubtedly have a devastating effect on both the Yankees’ offensive and defensive production. Being the only consistent lefty power in the lineup, Gregorius clobbered 27 home runs and batted in 86 runs. He was the only player on the team with more RBI than strikeouts, while batting .268 on the season with a .829 OPS.

Cashman stated there is no short-term replacement plan in place as of now.